No Biz Like Show Biz
by Comickazi13
Summary: When the Monkees meet two nightclub singers in a bar, drama ensues. Told from Reggina's point of view. In the TV show's universe.
1. Hey, hey! Meet the Monkees!

"I want you to go out there and give the best dang performance you've ever given!"

"Okay, boss," I sighed. I felt so overworked, so underpaid, so unappreciated. I watched as my sister Rhenda came backstage in her totally slutty red costume with much red plumage. "Remind me again why the innocent act comes right after the hot and steamy act?"

"Because Mr. Barrossa has really bad timing," Rhenda teased. I raised an eyebrow at her, but let it go. "Hey," she whispered, pulling me aside. "Really cute guys in the audience: second row, fourth table to the left."

"You are so horrible, Rhenda," I grimaced. She held up her arms in a Hey-I'm-Just-Trying-To-Be-Helpful pose and stalked away to her dressing room. _She_ had an audience of men clamoring after her. _I_ didn't.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Mr. Barrossa (my boss and the owner of Barrossa's Bar) announced from the stage, "the lovely sister of Miss Rhenda Sullivan! The Epitome of Innocence! The Angel of the Singing Heavens! Ladies and gentlemen, Miss _Reggina_ Sullivan!"

The audience exploded as Mr. Barrossa left the stage. I peeped out of the curtain and popped all the way out. It was obvious that I was a letdown after my super-sexy sister. After her bright red, tight-fitting costume, my calf-length, flattering-yet-concealing dress was quite a surprise…and not a good one.

I had to say, though, my act went pretty well. I only sang one song and it was a song about young love and the innocence of it all. It was my typical bit. But, I was really distracted. Those four boys in the audience (exactly where Rhenda said they would be) _were_ really cute.

One was tall and gangly. He had triangular sideburns connecting to his dark colored hair and he was watching me with quite an amount of intensity. He looked like he was trying to understand what made me tick.

The one next to him had dirty-blonde hair and a very contented smile on his face. I'd seen this kind of face before. It was the kind of face that people wore when they were uncomfortable watching my sister's somewhat brash act.

The one next to this one was short. He looked like he was enjoying the act very much. He was grinning from ear to ear and leaning on the table. I wondered if he was enjoying my _act_ or if he was just enjoying the fact that another girl was onstage. It could easily have been both.

The last boy really caught my eye. It may have been because I really have an eye for trouble. It may have been because his hair doubled the size of his head. Heck! It may have been because he was practically climbing over the table and his companions to get closer to the stage!

As my song came to a close and the audience clapped politely, this table exploded with applause. The four boys whistled, cheered, and shouted compliments. I blushed and quickly walked backstage.

"Whaddya do _that _for?!" Rhenda asked indignantly. "They loved you! Why don't you ever take the glory when you deserve it?"

"I dunno," I shrugged stupidly. That was the truth. I supposed that I had run because I was not used to getting so much attention. That was my sister's job, _not mine_! "Hey, boss, I'll be in my dressing room if you need me," I called to Mr. Barrossa. He nodded.

"Great show tonight, Redge!" he winked. I smiled back and walked hurriedly to my room, quickly closing the door behind me.

I scoped out the scene. My dressing room was comparatively smaller than Rhenda's. She had bigger, fluffier, crazier costumes. Mine could be stored all on one rack in the corner. My makeup station was smaller too. I pretty much wore heavier street makeup. No problem putting it on at home and no problem taking it off at home. The only things that were the same about Rhenda's and my dressing room were that we both had small couches and small bathrooms. No way were we sharing a bathroom like we had since I was born!

"Oy!" I exclaimed collapsing onto my couch. My dress billowed around me. There was a knock at the door. "Who is it?" I called weakly. I figured it was either Mr. Barrossa or Rhenda.

"Reggina, you have _fans_!" Mr. Barrossa shouted. I sat bold upright. Me? Fans? Not possible! No! I didn't have fans. Rhenda had fans. Not me! Not Miss Epitome of Innocence!

"Come in!" My voice cracked. Crap. The door swung open. "Oh!" I said in recognition. "It's you fellas." I have to admit it, I was grinning ear to ear at the sight of my fans from the second row.

"H-Hi, Miss Sullivan," the tall one stammered. "We really enjoyed your act." He had a Southern accent. Texas, it sounded like.

"Thank you," I smiled. "I'm glad I could please. I don't get fans very often."

"Why?" asked the one with sandy-blonde hair.

"Well," I sighed, "for one thing, I'm _Rhenda's_ sister."

"Ah," the short one said nodding in understanding. "I see where that would dwindle your fan base." Was that a British accent? Yup. Definitely Manchester.

"Um…Miss Sullivan…" the tall one started.

"Oh please!" I laughed. "Call me Reggina. It's so much better than _Miss Sullivan_."

"Oh…okay. R-Reggina, my buddy Micky here wanted to know if he could have a…an autograph." I looked over at the one with big-personality hair. He looked like he was shaking.

"Sure," I shrugged simply. I walked over to my makeup station and picked up a pen. (I usually kept a pen backstage just in case I had a writing emergency.) Then, I turned around and glided back over to the boys. I figured if I had fans, why not charm them a little? "Got paper?"

"Well…um…I don't think…you see…" the tall one fumbled.

"Yes," grinned the blonde. He pulled out a club napkin and handed it to me gingerly, as if he might be too pushy if he handed it to me any harder. I took it from him and scrawled my signature across the bumps on the napkin.

"Good move, ol' buddy," I heard the tall one drawl behind me. I turned back around and handed them the autograph.

"All set?" I asked. The four boys nodded. They started to leave. "Wait!" I shouted after them. The short one (who was in the front of the exiting line) stopped abruptly and caused a chain reaction: blonde ran into short one, big-haired one ran into blonde, then tall one ran into big-haired one.

"What?" the tall one asked.

"Well…" I tried to find a way to put my request. It sounded pretty simple, but I wasn't sure. I'd never dealt with fans before. "What are your names?"

"Oh," the short one shrugged. "For a minute, I thought you were gonna ask us for _our_ autographs." I was pretty sure this was meant to be a joke, but it wasn't a very good one. "I'm Davy Jones." Davy stuck out his hand and I shook it.

"My name's Mike Nesmith," the tall one drawled. I shook his hand too.

"Peter Tork," the blonde introduced himself. I smiled and shook his hand strongly. I looked at the last boy.

"That's Micky Dolenz," Mike introduced. I shook Micky's hand and he almost seemed to melt at my touch.

"Hesphensltipvisont," Micky grinned dumbly.

"Glad to meet you," I giggled. "Are you guys planning on coming to visit me sometime?" They all nodded and smiled eagerly. "Good! I don't get many visitors either. It's a lonely life." Peter looked sad for me. It was awfully cute!

"Of course they'll come to visit," Mr. Barrossa interrupted. "It's a great show with a great singer! _Two_ great singers, if you count Rhenda Sullivan. They're the _Sullivan Sisters_, you know." That was Mr. Barrossa for you; always trying to advertise.

"Well, we should get going," Mike sighed. "We have a big day tomorrow, fellas."

"Aw! Can't we take her out, Mike?" Peter begged. Mike shook his head.

"Sorry, Pete, but we don't have the time tonight."

"Ah well," I shrugged. "There's always next time." I grabbed the napkin/autograph and scribbled my phone number on it as well. "Let me know when you're gonna stop by." The boys looked slightly bewildered at the writing, but managed to recover and leave.

"They were nice," Mr. Barrossa winked. "Great job tonight, Redge." I grinned. I felt great! I had fans! I wasn't just lurking in Rhenda's shadow now. I had my own claim to fame and it was exciting!


	2. Cheer Up, Sleepy Reggina!

"WAKE UP, REGGINA!" Rhenda shouted. I jerked out of my sleep so violently that I fell off my bed and landed on the floor with a THUD.

"Dangit, Rhenda!" I cursed, rubbing my arm because it got the worst bruising. "Why do you always have to do that?"

"I got lonely," she pouted. Even though she was my older sister, she never really matured. In fact, _I_ matured faster than she did. And I was still pretty _im_mature.

"Shame on you for being a morning person," I grumbled. I stood up off the floor and dusted myself off. "What?" I asked, irritated. "You got me up. Whaddya want?"

"Take you out to brekkie?" Rhenda invited.

"You woke me out of my beautiful slumber to ask if I wanted to go to _breakfast_?!" I fumed. I hated being crabby in the morning, but I couldn't help it. Rhenda backed away.

"Okay! Don't go to breakfast!" she pouted. "Why do you focus your anger at me?"

"I do not!" I protested. "You wake me up and expect me to be all 'sunshine and roses!'"

"The early bird gets the worms!" Rhenda exclaimed. "You should be pleased that I woke you up!"

"I AM A NIGHT PERSON!" I shouted, trying to get this thought through Rhenda's head. "I SLEEP DURING THE MORNING AND WAKE UP AT NIGHT! I AM NOCTURNAL!" I paused. "AND I DON'T LIKE WORMS!"

Rhenda put her hands on her hips and glared at me. I glared back. We just intensified the glares for about five seconds before I couldn't hold it in anymore. I started to laugh.

"What?" Rhenda asked. She was trying to hold in her giggles, but it wasn't working. "What's so funny?"

"The word 'brekkie,'" I laughed. "I'm sorry, but it just sounds so weird!" At this, both Rhenda and I burst out into a fit of new hysterical giggles. We laughed so hard that we collapsed on the floor and my sides started to hurt.

"You…You are so bizzare!" Rhenda guffawed.

"I'm slobbering all over myself!" I groaned through my laughter. "Rhen…Rhenda! I CAN'T STOP LAUGHING!!!!" Rhenda burst out into a new fit of laughter.

"N-Neither can I!" she exclaimed.

"I can't breathe!" I shouted. I took a deep breath and held it. I totally ignored Rhenda and her own laughter. Focusing on the seriousness of life, I was able to calm myself down and without me laughing, Rhenda soon stopped as well.

"That was amazing," Rhenda sighed. She loved it when we laughed so hard that I had to meditate to get back to normal. "Well, what should we do now?"

"I'm going back to bed," I grouched teasingly.

"Oh, no you're not!" Rhenda grinned. Before I could leap into bed, she tackled me to the floor. I struggled, but it was no use. Rhenda, although sexy and sleek-looking, was very strong.

"LET ME UP, RHENDA EMILIA SULLIVAN!" I shouted. "OR YOU'LL REGRET IT!" I struggled again, flailing my arms around crazily.

"Regret it, will I?" Rhenda laughed. She pinned my wrists to the floor. "You're crazy."

"_Me_?!" I exclaimed. Rhenda's nails were beginning to dig into the skin on my arms. "_You're_ crazy!" Rhenda was about to laugh and tease me about being so weak when the phone rang as if answering my silent prayers. "I WILL GET THAT!" I announced, somehow managing to wrestle Rhenda off me. I sprinted to the phone.

"Bet it's your _fan_s," Rhenda teased from my bedroom. I made a face at her and picked up.

"Hello!" I smiled cheerily into the phone. "This is Reggina Sullivan. May I ask who's calling?"

"R-Reggina?" an awkward voice cracked from the other end. "Uh…it's…this is Mike Nesmith? You know…from the show last night?"

"Told you," Rhenda's voice hissed.

"RHENDA! GET OFF THE OTHER LINE!" I shouted into the bedroom. There was a click. "Sorry about that, Mike," I groaned. "My sister's totally immature."

"Um…it's okay?" he tested. I laughed.

"Thanks. Sometimes I don't know about that girl." Rhenda whacked me over my head. "Owww!" I complained. "What was _that_ for?! Can't you see I'm on the phone?" Rhenda shrugged and stalked off to the kitchen to fix "brekkie." I turned back to my business. "So, Mike. What's up?"

"Well…actually," he fumbled. It was funny listening to him try to talk to me. "The guys and I were wondering if…if…uh…Dangit! I had it all planned out!" Did he have a hard time figuring out what he wanted to say? Probably.

"_Ask her if she wants to hang out with us today,_" someone pestered Mike on the other end.

"I know," he returned grouchily. "Davy, would you go away!" I giggled a little. I guess I wasn't the only one with pesky people standing next to the phone, trying to put their two cents in on a conversation. "Do you want to hang out today?" Mike asked me.

"Sure!" I grinned. "Mind if Rhenda tags along? She's been really anxious to hang out with me more. Thinks we're 'drifting apart' or something." This, of course, was a lie. But I wasn't about to go out with four boys all alone. That was Rhenda's specialty. I would be taking notes on how she acted.

"Um…hold on," Mike excused himself. "Hey, guys! Mind if Reggina's sister comes too?"

"_Why?_" Davy asked in the background.

"Because her sister's being clingy or something." I smirked in spite of myself. Hearing a boy call my sister "clingy" was something I did not hear often…or at least not in the way Mike was saying it. There was some babble on the other end as the boys discussed the situation. "Sounds fine," Mike shrugged. "Peter just has one request."

"What's that?" I asked.

"She covers up…a lot," Mike smirked. I laughed loudly. In fact, I choked on my own spit.

"I don't think she'll mind," I coughed, my eyes filling up with water from laughing so hard. "Let me ask her if she has plans." I turned away from the phone. "RHENDA! DO YOU HAVE PLANS FOR TODAY?"

"WHY?" Rhenda shouted from the kitchen.

"MY FANS WANT TO HANG OUT TODAY! I ASKED IF YOU COULD COME," I called. There was a clatter of plates and pans. Rhenda stormed through the house, grabbed the phone, and lifted it to her ear.

"Would you hold on for a second?" she purred. "Thanks." She set the phone down on the coffee table. "Reggina Mary Sullivan, you complete and total idiot!" she whispered hostilely. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I thought you'd like to come," I shrugged.

"You haven't been out with a boy since the 'Dean Hatcher Fiasco,'" Rhenda rolled her eyes. (She was referring to my old boyfriend Dean Hatcher. First date and I had been so annoyed by Dean's arrogance that I ran out of that Denny's as fast as my legs could carry me. Never saw _Dean Hatcher_ again…) "I have tried to get you back in the game, but you have always backed away. _This_ time," she smirked evilly, "you are taking the chance…whether you want to or not."

"What?!" I exclaimed, flabbergasted. Rhenda scooped up the phone from the coffee table and pressed it to her ear.

"Hello," she grinned into the phone. "This is Rhenda Sullivan…Yeah. Reggina's big sister. I'm sorry, but I can't come today! I'm…sick!" This was punctuated by one of the most fake coughs I had ever heard in my life. "Yeah…I am soooo sorry! Next time! No, no, no, no! Reggina can still come! Of course…She'll be there! All right! Bu-bye." Rhenda smirked at me as she hung up. "You should get ready," she smiled, wiggling her eyebrows. "You have to meet your fans at the park in half an hour."

"Rhenda, you cheese brain!" I cried. I lunged for the phone before realizing that I didn't know the boys' phone number! I collapsed onto the couch, moaning. I could feel a migraine coming on…


	3. She Hangs Upside Down

After taking a quick dose of Aspirin to take care of my Rhenda-Related headache, I ran to my room to get dressed. After all, I probably didn't want to go meet the boys wearing my silky bunny pajamas and matching slippers. I decided on a mid-thigh-length pink skirt with a wooly pink-and-purple-striped, sleeveless turtleneck top. As I slipped on my favorite white Two and Three-Quarter-Inch-Heel pumps, I ran a comb through my hair.

"Dangit!" I exclaimed as my hair stuck up in all directions. I put some water over the unruly, static-y strands, but my thick, blonde hair didn't usually behave…even when wet. I groaned and swept it all back into a ponytail. Okay. That looked even more demented than the first try. I let it all back down and attempted to tie up the loose strands in a ponytail over the rest of my hair. Nope. That looked stupid. Finally, I just gave up and tied a white bandana over my hair and looked hopefully into the mirror.

"Not bad," Rhenda smirked from my doorway.

"I don't want to hear a word from_ you_, missy," I growled, pointing my comb at Rhenda as if it were a lethal weapon. "_You _are the one who got me into this." Rhenda shrugged.

"Just helping out," she laughed over her shoulder as she walked away.

"Yeah! GREAT JOB ON THAT!" I shouted after her.

(-)(-)(-)

After driving to the park, I parked in the empty lot and climbed out of the car. I scouted around for the boys.

"BOO!" someone shouted behind me. I screamed and jumped around to see my attacker.

"God, guys! Don't do that," I groaned, letting out all my breath.

"Sorry, Reggina," Peter apologized.

"No. It's okay. Rhenda does that to me all the time," I laughed, still out of breath.

"Relax, Peter," Davy grinned. "Besides, you can't take the blame for _Micky's_ idea, now can you?" Micky stiffened up. I looked at him and smiled.

"_Your_ idea, huh?" I giggled. "Pretty well planned." Micky grinned at me, but didn't say anything. I pulled Mike aside. Out of all the guys, I felt the most comfortable talking to him. "Does he talk?"

"Who? Micky?" Mike asked. I nodded. "Oh yeah! Sure! In fact, he sings all the time in our band!"

"So he's not a mute?"

"Nah! He's just feeling awkward about hanging out with you. He really…admires you," Mike said, choosing his words very carefully.

"'Admires' me, huh?" I smirked.

"Yup," Mike shrugged. We walked back over to the others.

"So what do you have in mind for today?" I asked, cocking my head. Micky looked like he really wanted to say something, but was keeping it all in. I shrugged it off.

"Well, considering it's a park, we figured we'd do park things," Davy smarted off. Every time that British boy opened his mouth, I had the strange feeling that he was making fun of me or doing something else to make me look stupid. I didn't much care for it.

"Like what?" I returned sassily. Davy pointed off to a playground situated by a duck pond.

"Brought some bread," Peter grinned, cradling a loaf of whole wheat bread in his arms.

"Why whole wheat?" I asked.

"Don't want the ducks to get fat," Peter explained. I nodded in understanding. Micky was already starting to bolt off toward the playground where he promptly disappeared. Davy went running after him. Peter shot off to the duck pond and began throwing little bits of bread into the water. Mike was the only one who stayed behind to walk with me.

"So how long have you been singing at the bar?" he asked as we strode down the well-kept green hill.

"Gosh…I don't know. Maybe about…four years?" I guessed.

"Long time," Mike sighed. "I don't think the guys and I have been playing for that long."

"Do you guys have a band?"

"Yeah. We're called 'The Monkees.'" I giggled behind my hand. "What?" he asked.

"Seems appropriate," I smirked teasingly. Mike raised an eyebrow at me before chuckling a little.

"You're good," he smiled. "I almost didn't catch that." I laughed too. I had a feeling that Mike was kind of like the brother I never had…thank God. If I ever had another sibling like Rhenda, the whole world would be in trouble. Just as I was about to make another remark, there was a high-pitched scream from the playground. Mike closed his eyes and looked pained.

"What was _that_?" I asked in shock.

"Micky," Mike groaned. He ran off to find the source of the scream. Not wanting to be left alone, I ran after him. I turned a corner to find... Micky was stuck in the swings. The seat part of the swings was wrapped around his stomach and the chains were tangled around him, tying him to the post keeping the swings up. The most unbelievable part of this whole sight was the fact that Micky was upside-down.

"How'd you get yourself into _this_?" Davy asked, laughing. Micky looked up at him helplessly. Mike ran over and began tugging at the chains.

"Man! You're stuck in there pretty tight, Mick," he exclaimed. Peter, who was now noticing the scene from the duck pond, yelled out something about pulling the seat. I reached out and gave the seat a stiff yank.

Before I knew what was going on, I too was stuck up against the pole. I had no idea how I got there or how I was going to get down. All I knew is that I was so close to Micky that there wasn't an atom of space between us…and that there was a draft. I knew I shouldn't have worn a short skirt!

"Whoohoo!" Davy hooted. He was laughing so hard that this came out choppy and loud. Mike was trying to hold in his laughter by holding his hand to his mouth, but he was still smirking. Peter ran up, out of breath.

"I told you…not to…pull…the seat," he panted. If my arms had been free, I would've smacked my forehead. I wriggled instead. "Don't do that!" Peter exclaimed. "That'll just make it worse."

"And how do you know this?" I asked, irritation creeping into my voice.

"You have no idea how many times this happened to me as a kid," Peter grimaced. "I wasn't the most popular swinger in school." Peter set to work untangling the chains. I was still vividly aware of my now-showing underwear…and the two pairs of eyes that were staring at them.

"Mike, Davy," I whined imploringly. "Please stop staring! I'm embarrassed enough without knowing I gave a really good show today." Davy laughed, but Mike turned away to look at the ducks. "Thank you, Mike," I breathed. Mike looked over at Davy and smacked him in the arm.

"Owww!" Davy complained. "What?" Mike grabbed Davy's shoulder and turned him around to look at the pond. "Oh," Davy shrugged simply.

It wasn't long before Peter had Micky untangled. He fell to the sand with a THUD. Micky got up and dusted himself off before taking notice that my underwear was showing. He whistled and turned away. Peter untangled me and helped me back onto my feet. I smoothed out my skirt, blushing like a tomato with sunburn.

"There you go," Peter smiled. It seemed like he didn't even notice my "little show." If he did, he sure didn't show it. "How does that feel?"

"Like I'm Alice back from Wonderland," I sighed in relief. Davy started laughing again.

"More like Alice back from _Under_land," Davy chuckled. Mike slapped him in the arm and Davy silenced himself. I looked over to see that Micky was insanely blushing too. He smiled at me apologetically.

"You okay?" I asked quietly. Micky looked like a deer caught in headlights: panicked, yet hypnotized at the same time. He nodded his head before turning away and grabbing Davy. They ran off somewhere, probably to talk about the latest ordeal.

"Mike, that was so embarrassing," I whimpered, running over to him. He put his arm around me.

"It's okay, Reggina," he mumbled. "Tomorrow, I'm sure that no one will remember it…Okay. Maybe Davy will." My face paled. "But, I'm sure it'll only be a vague memory," Mike said hurriedly.

"Y-Yeah," I stuttered, not quite sure what to believe. After all, I had only met the boys last night. How was I supposed to know how they remembered things?


	4. Shades of Green

"So," Rhenda pushed as soon as I walked through the door. "How'd it go?" My mind flickered back to hanging upside-down on the swings, my underwear fully exposed.

"It was…an experience," I shrugged.

"Is that all?" Rhenda pressed. I thought for a minute, and then nodded.

"Pretty much."

"LIAR!" she shouted. She tackled me to the couch.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" I screamed indignantly. "What gives?!"

"I got Mr. Barrossa to trail you on your date…"

"WAIT A MINUTE!" I interrupted. "Date? Since when was hanging out with friends a 'date?'"

"Since 'hanging out' became 'hanging out with four humans of the opposite sex.' Don't cut me off like that," Rhenda huffed. "I had Mr. Barrossa trail you and he said that you got pretty cozy with one of the guys." My mind raced to try to find what in the world she was talking about. Suddenly, it hit me!

"OH!" I shouted. "No, no, no, no, no. I just got tangled up in the swing set trying to get the other boy out." Rhenda looked puzzled.

"Tangled in the swing?" she asked in disbelief. "I'm supposed to believe that?" I nodded.

"Yup."

"Pathetic, but…I guess it's good for now," Rhenda shrugged. She was just about to walk away from me when something else hit me.

"Rhenda Emilia Sullivan," I grumbled, "you had someone _stalk_ me?" Rhenda slowly turned on her heel and grinned at me innocently.

"Not 'stalk,' my dear," she giggled nervously. "'_Follow_ to make sure everything was shipshape.'"

"Same thing!" I exploded. "I swear, girl, you go overboard way too often." Even though I was mad, it was hard to stay that way when Rhenda was my opponent. We were soon laughing so hard I was choking on my own spit and she was holding her sides in joyful agony. When we had calmed down, Rhenda took a deep breath.

"So when are you going to see them again?" she asked nonchalantly.

"How am I supposed to know that?" I asked back.

"I dunno," Rhenda shrugged. "Didn't they ask you out again or something?"

"No," I sighed. "Though, I had such a fun time with them at the park, I sure wouldn't refuse to hang out again."

Just then, the phone rang. I made a quick grab for it before Rhenda could scoop it up for herself. After her little episode yesterday, I was determined to always keep the phone from her.

"Hello? Reggina Sullivan here."

"Hey, Reggina," Mike chirped. "How're you doin'?"

"Great!" I grinned. "How 'bout you?"

"Fine, fine," Mike shrugged. "Nothing much happening right now. I have Peter, Davy, and Micky doing the dishes, actually." There was a clatter in the background.

"_Micky, you klutz!_" I heard a familiar British accent panic in the background.

"Stop it!" Mike shouted. "I'm on the phone with Reggina." There was an awkward pause as Davy started to chuckle.

"_Why don't you give the phone to Micky? I'm sure he would _love _to talk to Reggina!_" Davy snorted. "_Isn't that right, Micky?_"

"_You're being kind of mean lately, Davy,_" Peter pointed out. "_Is there something wrong? Something you want to talk about?_"

"_No, nothing's wrong,_" Davy chortled. "_I just figured…_" Davy was awkwardly cut off by a scuffling sound. Davy shouted angrily.

"GUYS!" Mike shouted loudly. "I AM ON THE PHONE!"

"You sure have an interesting household, Mike," I giggled.

"Don't remind me," Mike grimaced.

"Hey," I thought out loud. "You invited me to hang out with you yesterday. Why don't you guys come and hang out at Barrossa's Bar today while I'm rehearsing?"

"Let me ask the boys," Mike grinned. "GUYS! STOP HAVING A MINI-WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP SO I CAN ASK YOU SOMETHING!" There was another big crash. But this was followed by silence. "Reggina asked if we want to come watch her rehearse today."

"_Rehearse what?_" Peter asked.

"_Her act, you twit,_" Davy sulked. Obviously, he wasn't too happy about being cut off before.

"_Oh,_" Peter shrugged. "_Just asking. No need to get touchy._"

"We'll be there," Mike sighed.

"Great," I grinned. "See you!"

(-)(-)(-)

"Is this really necessary?" I asked Mr. Barrossa as he fixed some lights on the stage. He looked at me, almost surprised I could ask such a question.

"Of course it's necessary, Redge!" he exclaimed. "You can't make progress without a bit of change!" He flipped a switch and green light covered the whole stage.

"But…why green?" I asked.

"Because. Green is a good color," Mr. Barrossa shrugged. I looked over at the table where the boys were sitting and cocked my head, giving them a Can-You-Believe-This-Guy look. They shrugged in unison.

"Whatever you say, boss," I shook my head. As I sang through my act, the green lights kept changing shades. It was very distracting and I could barely keep my mind focused on the music and lyrics. "OKAY, STOP THE MADNESS!" I shouted finally. The music came to a sour halt. The light kept changing.

"What's the matter, Redge?" Mr. Barrossa asked.

"I feel like I'm in a lava lamp," I grimaced. "Not to be a diva, but this is really distracting."

"You are totally right, Redge," Mr. Barrossa sighed after a long pause. "Take five. I'll fix it up." I waved in thanks before walking offstage to see the boys.

"So," I smiled, "how's it look from down here?"

"Simply astonishing," Mike grinned. He scooted a chair out for me and I sat down. Taking five was definitely one of my favorite activities at present. I leaned back in my chair and put my feet up on the table. (This time I was wearing my rehearsal bell-bottom pants so there wasn't an underwear disaster.)

"Glad you thought so," I smirked. "I have to say, though…Green lights? Really, boss? Not to be rude, but isn't that a little overboard?" The boys chuckled in agreement.

"Better than red," Davy pointed out. "That'd be really distracting…for both you and the audience." I looked at him, still getting that feeling that he was undermining me. I dismissed it as being a figment of my wild imagination.

"What'd you think about it, Mick?" Mike asked, turning to Micky. Micky looked up from his glass of water. He looked startled, and that look quickly turned to panic. He bit his lip before grinning at me and nodding. "Can I talk to you for a sec?" Mike said, pulling Micky up from his seat. They walked off toward the bathroom.

"What's with them?" I asked.

"Nothing," Peter shrugged. "Micky's just being weird today."

"Ah," I nodded, not quite understanding it all.

"Redge!" Mr. Barrossa called. "Can we get you back onstage, please?"

"No problem," I grinned. Taking five always cleared my head and made me ready to get back to work. I climbed back up onstage and got ready to sing. I had just opened my mouth when a blast of green, orange, blue, purple, and pink light almost knocked me on my butt. "WHAT IN THE NAME…" I screamed. I covered my eyes.

"What's the matter, Redge?" Mr. Barrossa asked, hurrying down from the light booth to the house.

"What did you do to the lights?" I managed while trying to blink the colors from my memory.

"Change, baby," Mr. Barrossa shrugged. "Can't make progress without it. I've always said that, haven't I?"

"Yes," I agreed, "but that doesn't apply when lights practically knock you out!" As if they heard me, one of the giant stage lights came loose and fell toward the front of the stage. Luckily, no one got hurt. Mr. Barrossa yelped and Micky (who had now returned to the table with Mike) shrieked a little. "See?!" I shouted, pointing to the light. "A sign!"

"Okay! Okay!" Mr. Barrossa finally gave in. "I'll go back to your original lighting!"

"Thank you!" I shouted, annoyed.


	5. Listen to the Band Backstage

It finally happened. Let me tell you how it happened. I was sitting in my house. Rhenda was doing her thing…She was dancing to the newest songs on the radio in a way that would make a nun cry.

I was bustling away in the kitchen, attempting to make some kind of new meal Rhenda couldn't possibly burn or melt. I didn't get too far. Because just as Rhenda busted a move and I busted a pan, the phone rang. I quickly bounded over to the phone and snatched it up.

"Hello. This is Reggina Sullivan," I smiled cheerily. "Who's this?"

"Reggie! It's me: Mike!"

"Hey, Mike. How're you doing?"

"Excellent! Listen, I have a proposition for you," Mike said. "How would you like to come and listen to our band play?"

"Like it?" I gasped. "Try _love_ it!"

"Great!" Mike smiled. "I'll have a surprise for you afterwards."

"Um…okay," I shrugged. When he hung up, I turned to Rhenda, who was now doing some twisted version of The Watusi. "Guess what?" I grinned.

"What?" she asked, still dancing.

"I'm going to go listen to the guys play tonight." Rhenda stopped dancing and looked at me, beaming from ear to ear. "What?" I asked, confused.

"You. Boys. Music," Rhenda grinned. "A mix worth seeing."

"Shut up," I rolled my eyes. "I'm just spending time with my new friends, okay?"

"Friends or _boyfriends_?" Rhenda smirked.

"You know I'm not a bigamist," I teased. That was the wonder of my relationship with my big sister. We could joke about any serious subject.

"Do I?" she teased back. I rolled my eyes at her and made my quirky half-smile.

"Well," I sighed, "whether I'm planning on marrying four different people or not, I'm going to listen to the fellas play tonight."

(-)(-)(-)

It was about 7:30 and I needed to start getting ready for the concert. I changed from my sweaty track-suit (I had just come back from night jogging) and got in the shower. I washed my hair with a sweet-smelling shampoo and rinsed before climbing out of the shower and drying off.

I changed into a lime-green, tight-fitting dress with a turtleneck top. I blow-dried my hair, making sure that it fluffed out in a very flattering way and combed it out. I put my hair up in double ponytails, tying them with little green ribbons. Somehow, the color green stuck with me after the Barrossa's Bar lighting incident.

"HEY, REGGINA!" Rhenda called from the living room. "YOUR DATES ARE HERE!" I pulled on my white, shimmery boots and hurried out to meet my _friends_.

"Hey, boys," I smiled, waving at Mike, Davy, Peter, and Micky. Micky just waved back, smiling, still dumbly as ever.

"You look great, Reggie," Mike grinned. Why was he always the first one to talk when we met up? Probably because he was the most comfortable with me. Peter nodded in agreement. Davy winked and wolf-whistled. I ignored this.

"Ready to go?" Davy asked, raising an eyebrow. He was obviously not used to having someone ignore him. I looked over at him and made a face like I had just noticed him.

"Mmmm…Sure," I shrugged. I turned back to Micky and flashed a smile. I swear, he was going to faint on the spot. In fact, he got very close to it. He looked like my smile had hit him in the stomach and he stumbled back right into Peter. Peter struggled to keep him up, but he managed.

(-)(-)(-)

I loved the concert. It was the first time I had heard Micky's singing voice. It was cute. Was his speaking voice this adorable? But one thing that concerned me was that whenever Micky's eyes wandered over in my direction, his voice cracked or went dead silent. He would snap his eyes back to the rest of the audience, or would close them and his voice would return to normal or just return in general.

After the two sets, Mike ushered everyone outside before hopping down and rushing toward me. The once dark room was now lit with very artificial light.

"C'mon, Reggie," Mike mumbled. He grabbed my hand and pulled me out of my seat.

"What's up?" I asked in confusion.

"No questions. Just follow me," Mike muttered. He pulled me backstage and looked both ways before pushing me into a closet. I tripped over a broomstick, but I held in my shriek of surprise. "Now, stay in here and be quiet." Mike shut the door and I was drenched in darkness. I waited for a little while before I heard mumbling outside the cupboard.

"That was an awesome show!" Peter exclaimed. "One of the best we've ever done!"

"Did I do okay?" a new voice asked. "Was my voice horrible? Man, did I suck in front of Reggina?"

"Micky, would you relax?" Davy sighed. "I'm sure you did fine." So that's what Micky's voice sounded like. Cute. Very cute. Adorable even!

"Yeah, Man," Mike smirked. "Relax."

"B-But what if I totally bombed?" Micky panicked.

"Trust me," Peter smiled. "You didn't."

"Except for those couple of screw-up's…" Davy's voice trailed off.

"Yeah," Micky interrupted the silence. "That's when I saw Reggina in the audience. Do you know what she does to me?"

Awkward silence…

"Um…" Mike breathed. "No?"

"I can't talk around her. When I see her, I can't make sounds come out," Micky cried in annoyance as if it was common knowledge.

"Is that ever right," Davy smirked. He imitated the first thing Micky had ever said to me. "'Hesphensltipvisont!'" There was a thud and Davy shouted a profanity followed by "OWCH!"

"Don't ever say that again!" Micky shouted. "Why do you have to keep reliving the most embarrassing moment in my life?!" This was when I noticed that I was pressing my ear very hard against the door. And I noticed this because I suddenly fell out of the cupboard and sprawled on the floor of the greenroom.


	6. Your Big Sister, Rhenda

"Oh my God!" I screamed. "I am so sorry!" I scrambled up to my feet and backed my heel into a mop. My foot got caught and I twirled around and landed on my stomach. I felt someone help me up. I turned around to see whose hands were on my waist. "Th-Thanks, Micky," I mumbled.

"No problem," Micky whispered. His voice cracked. "S-So how long were you in there?" I looked down. "Long enough, huh?"

"I…I'm sorry," I said, biting my lip. I was so embarrassed I felt like I was going to cry.

"Nah," Micky laughed uneasily. "It's okay. My fault anyway for not talking to you sooner." He threw a sidelong glance at Mike as if he knew exactly what was going on. "Don't worry about it."

(-)(-)(-)

"He _likes _you?" Rhenda laughed. "No…Wait…Hold on…_YOU_?!" She laughed so hard that she choking on her own spit. "I can't believe it! _My_ little sister _finally_ has a little crush on someone!"

"I never said I liked him _back_," I mumbled indignantly. Rhenda looked at me critically. She stared. And stared. And stared.

"Reggina..." she said warningly, yet understandingly.

"OKAY!" I shouted. "I LIKE HIM BACK!" Rhenda looked smug. Sometimes it really bothered me that she could almost always get me to admit anything she wanted.

"So when are you going to ask him out?" Rhenda asked nonchalantly. She swiped her perfectly manicured nails against her silky shirt and blew on them. I looked at her in disbelief.

"Me? Ask him out? How am I supposed to do that?"

"Go up to him and ask him out," Rhenda sighed rolling her eyes. She probably thought it was the easiest thing in the whole world. I looked at her with fearful eyes. "Are all your friends single?" she asked randomly.

"What?" I was so confused.

"Are all your friends single?" Rhenda repeated. I thought a minute before nodding. "Okay. Next time they call, give me the phone and let a pro show you how it's done." As if to answer her request, the phone rang. I picked it up.

"He-Hello?" I wasn't so sure how to answer the phone now that Micky was talking to me. What if I made a fool of myself and said something dorky?

"Reggie? It's Mike." I let out a sigh of relief.

"Hey, Mike," I sighed.

"I have a question," Mike said pulling the thought out of thin air. "Is your sister single?"

"Rhenda? Yeah. Why?" I blurted out before I could think about it. Rhenda looked a tad shocked.

"No reason," Mike trilled. Rhenda grabbed the phone from my hands.

"Hello?" her voice cracked. I looked at her, astonished. How could she assume a totally different personality in a matter of seconds? "Hmm? Oh I'd, uh, absolutely love to! When do you, um, have in mind? Next Saturday sounds, um, fine. How 'bout you pick me up at about…say, uh, 8:00? Ok-kay. It's a d-date. Bu-bye!" She hung up the phone and looked at me.

"The pro at work, huh?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. Rhenda held up a finger to talk to me, but no words came out. Instead, her legs gave out and she collapsed, fainting on the living room floor.

(-)(-)(-)

"Okay," I sighed. "You can do this. C'mon, Reggina, ol' girl. Pick up that phone and…I can't!"

"You are so pathetic, Reggina," Rhenda rolled her eyes. She was applying a fresh coat of clear nail-polish to her fingernails and watching me try to psyche myself into calling Micky. "Just dial and ask. Dial and ask. Dial and ask." Each time she repeated the phrase, she waved her hand to make the polish dry. "And if he rejects you, which I seriously doubt, I'll…" Her voice trailed off as she flexed a muscle and punched the air violently. It was bizarre how girly, yet boyish Rhenda could be depending on her mood.

"C'mon, Reggina," I said taking a deep breath. "Do it. Dial and ask. If you can't do this, you're a big fat loser." I reached for the phone, snapped my arm back, reached for it again, and snapped back again. Rhenda sighed and propped her feet up on the coffee table. "Call me a loser!" I exclaimed defeatedly. I flopped down on the couch next to Rhenda, making her arm bounce. Clear nail-polish was now in a thin, shimmery streak from her nail to her wrist.

"Reggina…" she groaned, glaring at me. "This is starting to get annoying. Why are you such a wimp?"

"I just can't," I sighed, digging my face into my hands. "I've never liked a boy this much before and I've never had to ask him out myself. Can't I just wait until he calls me?"

"And what if he doesn't?" Rhenda asked, her voice gentle, yet firm. "What if he's waiting for you and after a while, he begins to think you aren't interested? What if you both waste your lives waiting for the other to call?" I looked at her and cocked my head over to one side.

"Rhenda," I smiled, "that was strangely deep and sensitive."

"I have my moments," she flounced. I rolled my eyes and reached for the phone. I held my hand over the phone for a while and Rhenda leaned in, staring intently at my hand and what it was about to do. I began to shake and I whimpered a little before yanking my hand away. "DANGIT, REGGINA!" Rhenda exclaimed, flabbergasted. She capped her nail-polish, got off the couch, and stalked away to her bedroom.

"Yeah," I whispered after she was gone. "Dangit, Reggina."


	7. Pleasant Valley Saturday Night

It was hard to believe that I had only known the boys for a month and one of them was already dating my sister. But, when you have a sister like Rhenda, you kinda have to get used to it. I'm not saying she was a whore or a slut or anything, but she definitely had something that made boys fling themselves at her feet. I didn't want this "talent" necessarily; I wanted her confidence.

"Mike'll be here any minute to pick me up," Rhenda grinned. She squealed as if she hadn't been on a date in a million years. I looked her up and down in her outfit.

"Really, Rhenda?" I asked. This question had double meanings. On the one hand, it was simply asking if Rhenda had the time correctly. Was Mike really coming to pick her up in a matter of minutes? On the other hand, it was asking if she was seriously considering going out looking like a complete prostitute. Her skirt barely covered her butt and her shirt barely covered her chest. I wondered if she had showered in glitter.

"Mmhmm," Rhenda giggled, obviously answering the first implication of the question. I could've sworn that if she bent down for anything, the whole world would be mooned.

The doorbell rang and Rhenda jumped. She looked at me quizzically before making a motion for me to go back into my bedroom. I sighed, closed my magazine, and walked to the front door. Rhenda looked panicked.

"What are you doing?" she mouthed.

"He's my friend too," I shrugged. I swung open the door. "MIKE!" I shouted happily. I gave Mike a big hug. "Why don't you come in? Rhenda's almost done getting ready." Behind my back, I motioned for _Rhenda_ to go back into the bedroom. Once I heard the door quietly click shut, I opened the door all the way and let Mike stride into the living room.

"How're you doing, Reggie?" Mike grinned. "Sorry for not asking sooner, but I've been so caught up taking care of the pre-date jitters…"

"Don't sweat it," I shrugged. "I'm fine. And you?"

"Like I said before, 'pre-date jitters,'" Mike laughed nervously.

"You'd never believe it, but Rhenda was just as nervous a few seconds ago," I winked. Hey, Mike was my best friend. I had to help him get over his nervousness.

"Really?" Whoa. Was Mike's voice seriously trembling like that? What the hell?! What happened to Mr. Cool?

"Absolutely," I grinned.

"Hey, Mike," a familiar voice purred from the doorway of Rhenda's bedroom. I let out a sigh of relief. I was kinda done lying right now.

Rhenda wasn't nervous. She was ecstatic to be going out on Saturday night. And I was left at home to do boring little things while rain pattered on the dirty windows and sad music wafted out of the '40s style radio…okay. So maybe I'm being a bit of a diva here. But, I was still going to be lonely for the evening.

"Oh," Mike casually remarked over his shoulder as the couple left. "Micky told me to tell you that he'll call a little later and make sure you're faring okay."

"Mkay," I sighed, not really noticing what Mike had said until the door latched and I heard the car drive away. "Wait…WHAT?!"

I began to panic. What would I say? What would _Micky _say? I was so freaked out that I almost fainted right there in the middle of the floor, but my amazing respiratory system was able to keep up with my fast heart rate. Was it hot in here or was it just my wild imagination? That same imagination that told me that Davy was demeaning me every time he opened his mouth to speak...

About an hour passed and I still hadn't calmed down. In the meantime, I had picked up my favorite novel (_Pride and Prejudice_ by Jane Austin), but, as one can imagine, it didn't really help much. I had flipped through magazines and catalogues, but I was still jumpy as hell. When the phone rang, I almost hit my head on the ceiling…Okay. Maybe I'm exaggerating a bit. I fumbled with the phone as I held it up to my ear.

"He-Hello?"

"Reggina? It's Micky." OH GOD! "I was just calling to make sure you weren't bored or anything."

"Nope," I said perhaps a little louder than I meant to. "Not bored! Not this girl. Bored? Not at all!" There was some laughing in the background.

"_Why don't you go over there, Mick_," Davy teased. "_Sounds like you could join in on the party._"

"Turn off, will ya?" Micky told Davy simply. He returned to the conversation with me. "Are you lonely? I could come over." My mind raced for an answer.

I could say, "Um…It's okay. I have plans." I could say, "You really don't have to trouble yourself on my account." I could say, "Stay away from me, you creep!" Anything that would've kept him from coming over to watch me make a fool of myself.

"Sure," I blurted out. In my mind's eye, I slapped myself in the forehead. Rhenda came to mind.

"_You are such an idiot, Reggina Mary Sullivan!_" she scolded. I shrugged helplessly.

"Mkay," Micky said. "I'll be over in a few minutes."

"Okay. Bye," I squeaked out before hanging up. Again, I would've fainted, but again my breathing kept up with my heart rate, though I was pretty sure that was impossible. However, I did fake-faint on the couch before running off to run a brush through my hair and change clothes.

Girls, why do we always get that feeling of if we're not pretty, the boys won't like us? It's a big lie in many cases! And yet, we spend hours brushing our hair, changing outfits, putting on lipstick and then wiping it all away except for the smallest trace, and pretending like we're not trying when we are!

Anyway, I'm getting off-track. After brushing my hair, changing into something "more suitable," and spazzing about the fact that Micky was going to be here soon and I had no idea what I was going to say, I was finally able to calm down…That is, until the doorbell rang.

"Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!" I yelled in a hoarse scream. I checked myself in the mirror before running to the door. When I touched the knob, I shocked myself. "Dang!" I screamed in the same whisper. I rubbed my hand on my shirt before opening the door. "Hey, Micky," I grinned. "What's up?"

Micky was attempting to be cool just like I was. And failing…probably like I was too. He was leaning against the doorway on his elbow, giving me a "James Bond" kind of look. Despite how hot this was, the effect was ruined when his elbow slipped and he went tumbling to the floor.

"Are you okay?" I asked, trying to stifle a giggle. Micky stood up quickly and brushed himself off.

"Uh…Yeah," he fumbled. "I-I'm fine."

"Why don't you come in?" I giggled, though I was still trying very hard to keep it in. Micky stepped through the doorway and I peered out into the night to see if the other boys had decided to drop by or if Rhenda was home from her date yet. When no one came into view, I shut the door and turned around.

Micky was flipping through one of the magazines on the coffee table. My eyes fell on _Pride and Prejudice_ and I thought about how embarrassing it would be if Micky saw it.

"_Oh! You read sappy romance novels?_" he would say.

"_Yeah! I'm just that lovelorn and moody that I need to read about other people's love-life problems to satisfy the fact that I don't have a love-life to begin with!_" I would giggle cheerily. I shoved that thought down. Then, I noticed that my fear was about to become reality.

"Hey! Cool!" Micky exclaimed, picking up my novel. "I don't read much, but I hear this book's really good." He turned to me, grinning from ear to ear. Was he making fun of me or was he genuinely complimenting me?

"Y-Yeah," I stuttered. "It's pretty good."

"Maybe I should take a crack at it," Micky thought out loud. "Do you think I could borrow it after you're done?" Words weren't coming out, so I nodded instead. Micky smiled and put the book back on the coffee table.

"You can sit down if you want," I managed to squeak out. Micky looked at the couch a minute before settling into it. I somehow gravitated toward a chair and plopped down. For a few minutes, we just sat there. It was funny. When I didn't know Micky liked me, I was more outgoing, more confident, more Rhenda-ish. But now that I knew, I was suddenly reduced to a little puddle of Reggina-like goop.

"So…" Micky said, breaking the silence. "Besides reading and singing at the bar, do you have any hobbies?" I wracked my brain for an answer. _Any _answer would do right now!

"_HOBBIES!_" shouted the little filer in my head. He dug around in the file cabinets of my brain to the H section to find the file completely missing. "_Shoot!_" The filer went running around, searching for the lost file while I sat looking at Micky like a dead fish. Finally, after what seemed like hours (when it was in fact a matter of seconds), the file was found and the filer pulled something out.

"Oh!" I exclaimed as if this question was not expected at all (which it wasn't), "I can dance a little. And I put some outfits together sometimes, but that's just when I want to look good." Micky's eyes wandered down to my clothes, and then wandered back up to my face.

"I can't dance for the life of me," he chuckled. "Trip over flat surfaces, even."

"Really?" I laughed. AHA! An idea! "If you want, I can teach you…How to dance, that is," I smiled. Micky's eyes lit up.

"I would like that a lot," he grinned.

"Great," I sighed, letting all my held breath out. I heard something in the driveway. "Hold on a minute, okay?" I jumped up and looked out the front window to see that Rhenda was back home from her date. Really? Was it that late? I checked a clock: 9:30?! Insanity!

"I should probably get going," Micky sighed behind me. I jumped and caught my breath.

"Oh god!" I gasped. "Don't scare me like that."

"Sorry," Micky shrugged sheepishly. "I was just saying that I should get back home soon. Mike being away for the night, he probably thinks that the house is a complete wreck. I'm happy to oblige." The almost embarrassed smile I had seen on his face a million times before had totally disappeared into a smile of (dare I say it?) evil and mischief.

"Oh," I said softly. To be honest, I was upset to see him go. "Okay." He must have picked up on my mood because he took my hand and gave it a squeeze.

"I'll call you to set up that dance lesson, okay?" he asked. I smiled and nodded.

Just as Micky left, Rhenda came in the door, swooning like she had just met (and made out with) a movie star. She saw me standing alone in the middle of the room and grinned like she was on hidden camera.

"MY NIGHT WAS AMAZING!" she exclaimed. I smirked. She looked at me, obviously noticing my unusual smile, and cocked her head to one side. "Anything you want to tell me?" she asked.


	8. I'll Be Back Upon My Dancing Feet

"Sorry!" Micky apologized in a panic as he, once again, stepped on my toe. It had become numb by this time, so I didn't feel anything.

"It's okay, Micky," I sighed. "Let's try that again."

"Can't we take a break?" Micky asked franticly. "I feel like you're annoyed with me." I rolled my eyes, but smiled.

"Fine. Take five," I shrugged. "But right after that, we start with that step!" Micky let his arm drop from my waist and let go of my other hand. He smiled a relieved smile that was mixed with a little bit of that original smile that I loved so much.

"Your diagnosis, nurse?" he asked in a serious voice. "Will I _ever_ learn how to dance?"

"Actually, you're pretty good for a beginner," I laughed. "Are you sure you've never taken a lesson in your life?"

"Well, I took a rip-off course a while back," he shrugged.

"Which studio?"

"There's more than one?" Micky asked in a panic.

"Duh!" I grinned. "You think only one person's come up with the idea to make people think they're learning something when they're really not?" Micky thought a minute before shaking his head questioningly. "So, which class did you take?"

"One at 'Renaldo's Dance Au Go-go,'" he informed me. I fake gasped. "What's the matter?"

"That's where I took _my_ lessons!" I cried. Micky looked mortified. "Micky, I'm kidding," I laughed. "I taught myself how to dance."

"Really?"

"Uh-huh," I nodded. "You can't get results like these," I did a quick step-ball-change and a spin, "from some guy in a dance studio."

Micky attempted to copy my step, but ended up flat on his face. He looked up at me amiably as if to say, "I'll never be as good as you." I laughed and helped him up.

"For now," I smirked, "stick to the program I'm teaching you. We'll get to that, I promise." I looked at a clock. "Looks like your five minutes are up. Let's get back to business, shall we?" Micky nodded and resumed his position. I pushed the play button on the tape player and counted off the beats.

"Dangit!" Micky swore under his breath as he stepped on my foot again. I flinched, but didn't cry out.

"Try this," I said. "When you come up to that step again, think like you're spinning me. That'll help you lead my foot away from where your foot's gonna be."

"Okay," Micky mumbled, unconvinced that this would help much.

"Just trust me on this," I smiled. "How many lessons have I taught you?"

"Five," he answered readily.

"How many times have I screwed you up?"

"None," he blushed.

"Good. Now try it again."

Micky danced around the room, leading me in all the right places until that step came up. He slowed down and pushed slightly on my hand. I moved my left foot back a little just as his right foot landed where my foot had been. He grinned at me like a little boy who had just figured out how to fit a stray piece on a model car.

"Good job!" I exclaimed.

"Thanks," he smiled.

"You're a good student."

"I have a good teacher," he winked. I blushed and giggled.

"You're too much." Micky shrugged and smiled slyly at me.

"Only what I have to be," he whispered, leaning in to me. I could feel his breath on my forehead. He lifted my chin up so I was looking straight at him. His breathing was fairly normal, but mine was shuddering and falling out all over the place.

We just stayed in this position for a long time. The music had long stopped. Only silence remained. Finally, Micky leaned in and our lips met. A shiver went up my spine and fireworks burst in my head.

"_WHACHOW!_" Rhenda shouted in my brain. "_That's _my_ little sister!_" I admonished her to be quiet and to not ruin the moment.

When we finally pulled apart, neither of us said anything. We just stared at each other. Then, we kissed again. It was the same thing: barely connected at the lips, but sparks flying all over the room…Or at least, in my wild imagination. It didn't seem quite so wild now.

(-)(-)(-)

"That's _it_?" Rhenda asked blandly. "No tongues? No hickies? _Nothing_ else?!" Her voice was slowly getting further and further off pitch until she was practically shrieking at me.

"Well, yeah," I shrugged. Somehow, the kisses didn't seem so special anymore. I pushed that thought away. Compared to Rhenda, nothing I ever did was very special. But compared to other people, I was the luckiest girl on Earth! I left my thoughts at that.

"Ugh!" Rhenda exclaimed in disgust. "Is that what 'young love' is like? Oh thank GOD I never had it!" She threw up her hands and made a shuddering sigh. "It sounds so…_boring_."

"It is _not_!" I shouted indignantly. "It's…romantic…and beautiful."

"Psh!" Rhenda grimaced, waving her hand in the air. "That's what comes of good minds when they read too many Jane Austin novels."

"I like them," I mumbled quietly. It was bizarre. Suddenly, I had been transferred back to the time when my big sister was God and I was the molecule of dirt, just trying to scrape out as much dignity as I could. Rhenda flipped her hair and puffed out a long sigh. She seemed to pull herself together before looking at me, grinning from ear to ear.

"You know," she smirked, "I don't think I'm treating you right."

"What?" I asked in confusion. One second, Rhenda was bashing my favorite types of books. The next, she was telling me that she wasn't treating me correctly. What the hell?!

"I mean, here you are!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms up. When I didn't appear to understand, she grinned and continued. "_My_ little sister! Her first kiss!" (I never kissed Dean. How could I after running away on the first date?) "I should be so happy for you!" Rhenda went on. "And I'm sitting here, questioning the importance of the moment!" She hugged me tightly.

"What?" I repeated. Rhenda looked at me, smirking and raising an eyebrow. "Just kidding," I laughed.

"Psh. Kids," she smirked before hugging me again.


	9. Take A Giant Fall

"I can't sing tonight," Rhenda croaked on the phone. Mr. Barrossa said something loudly and Rhenda held the phone away from her ear. "I'm sorry, sir, but I lost my voice."

"_HOW?!_" Mr. Barrossa screamed.

"I went to a concert last night with my boyfriend," Rhenda shrugged. "I guess I was screaming too loud." There was more chatter from the other end. "Well, I don't know. You'd have to ask her, now wouldn't you?" Rhenda thrust the phone in my direction. I took it gingerly.

"He-Hey, boss," I smiled nervously. "What's going on?"

"I want you to do Rhenda's act tonight," Mr. Barrossa ordered.

"WHAT?!" I exclaimed. "I can't do that! I'm not like Rhenda! I'm not alluring!"

"Nonsense!" Mr. Barrossa chuckled. "You're practically Rhenda's…Rhenda's _twin_!"

"Yeah, right!" I snorted. "Have you even noticed the fact that I'm a blonde?"

"Always," Mr. Barrossa flirted playfully.

"Well, have you noticed that Rhenda's got _black_ hair?" I asked sarcastically. "Or how 'bout that I have brown eyes and she has blue eyes? Or! What about the fact that her chest is rounder than an elephant's tushie and I'm as flat as a pancake?!"

"Redge, calm down," Mr. Barrossa chuckled. Obviously, he was more interested in my image of an elephant's tushie than in my plight. "Just sing the act tonight. I'll promise you anything."

"Like what?" I pouted.

"Like…the rest of the week off?" he offered.

"Keep going," I grumped. "You have my attention."

"Um…bigger dressing room?"

"Mmhmm. I'm listening."

"Better fitting costumes?"

"Yeah. Yeah. You're almost there!"

"WHAT ELSE DO YOU WANT?!" Mr. Barrossa spazzed. I thought a bit.

"Give me a twenty-two percent raise and I'll sing for Rhenda tonight," I coughed.

"TWENTY-TWO PERCENT?!" Mr. Barrossa sputtered.

"Fine. Since you're such a wonderful employer," I reasoned, "I'll lower it down to fifteen percent."

"That…You…I…Fif…Ugh! Fine!" Mr. Barrossa gave in. I smiled smugly. "Just be in costume by eight," he whined.

"I'll be there in no time," I grinned. I hung up and turned to Rhenda. "Well, sis," I smirked, "I just got more money, cash, moola, dough, smackers…" Rhenda clamped her hand over my mouth.

"Don't screw up your voice," she rasped, winking playfully. "I want to sound good tonight." I glared at her, teasingly.

(-)(-)(-)

"C'mon, Redge," Mr. Barrossa pleaded. "You have to go on in five minutes!"

"I look ridiculous," I whispered hostilly. "There is no way I'm going out like _this_."

"Aww, girl," Mr. Barrossa rolled his eyes, "c'mon out and let me see you."

I yanked open the door and revealed myself. I was wearing a black, tight-fitting leotard with black high-heels (at least five inches). My top layer of hair was swept up into a bun, which was hidden under a black, leather biker's cap. The rest of my hair fell around my face in the same kind of dishevelment one would expect to see on a person who just emerged from a half-an-hour make-out session. All-in-all, I looked like a biker-slut.

"You look amazing," Mr. Barrossa chuckled. "Just like your sister."

"That's what I was afraid of," I groaned, starting to close the door. But, Mr. Barrossa pushed his way into the dressing room.

"It's a good thing, Redge," he rolled his eyes.

"Not in my opinion," I grimaced. I took off the cap and chucked it onto the makeup table. Then, I plopped down on the sofa, my face buried in my hands. "I look like a dang prostitute."

"Naw," Mr. Barrossa smirked. "You look like a biker-chick."

"Fine," I shrugged. "I look like a dang, _dusty_ prostitute. Either way, I can't do this."

"Even for your raise?" Mr. Barrossa coaxed. I looked up at him with daggers in my eyes. "Sorry," he muttered.

"I don't think I can pull this off," I groaned. Mr. Barrossa's face lit up.

"But I went through all the trouble of getting your fans to come!" he exclaimed in a pleading tone of voice. My blood froze.

"F-Fans?" I stuttered. "You mean Mike, Peter, Davy, and…M-Micky?" Mr. Barrossa beamed at me with a fifty-watt smile. The room was spinning. I was starting to feel sick. Oh my God! I was going to throw up! I was just about to make a mad dash for the bathroom when my legs gave out from under me and I fainted.

(-)(-)(-)

"Reggie?" I heard Mike's voice call. "Reggie? You okay?" My eyes fluttered open and I blinked.

"Wh-What happened?" I breathed.

"You passed out," Mike said simply. I looked around. Mike and Mr. Barrossa were the only two people in the room besides me. I was now lying on the couch, a soft blanket covering me up. "Mr. Barrossa, here, wanted me to take you home. He said you could skip tonight and the bar would close up early."

"N-No," I managed to squeak. "I want to try."

"You sure?" Mr. Barrossa asked, his hand resting on my shoulder. "If you want, you can just go home and rest up."

"I want to do this," I confirmed.

"Okay," Mr. Barrossa shrugged. "I'll go out and introduce you." Mike and Mr. Barrossa got up to leave. Before Mike walked through the door, he shot me a thumbs-up and grinned. I stood up, bit my lip, and strode over to the makeup table.

I still didn't like the way I looked. But somehow, my singing that night became monumentously important. I picked up the biker hat and gently set it on top of my head. I took a deep breath and exhaled before walking backstage.

"The lovely Miss Rhenda Sullivan has seemed to have lost her voice," Mr. Barrossa was saying. There was an audible hiss from the drunken men of the audience. "Hey, now!" Mr. Barrossa shouted as glass shattered. "The good news is we have her sister, Reggina Sullivan, to take her place." There was another loud hiss, but I could hear some cheering from the front row. I blushed. I knew exactly who that was. "And now," Mr. Barrossa introduced, "the talented, beautiful Miss Reggina Sullivan!"

I pulled the curtains apart to be greeted with a saucy, red light. Several drunken men in the audience wolf-whistled and cheered. I tried my best not to blush. It wasn't in my character for the evening. So this was what Rhenda had to go through every performance. Talk about annoying! I began the routine, dancing around the stage in most obscene ways. I was _never _doing this again!

Towards the end of the act, I was to twirl around and look over my back at the audience before flipping my hair and walking backstage like a supermodel. I was dreading this because I wasn't really good at twirling. Spinning, I could do. But twirling was a completely different story. As I twirled around, my left heel got caught in the crook of the right one. My arms went flailing and I went tumbling off the front of the stage into the audience. I screamed a very high-pitched scream and the audience gasped.

"I GOTCHA!" someone shouted. I felt a pair of arms catch under my legs and around my shoulders. On instinct, I wrapped my arms around the catcher's neck. When my head stopped reeling, I looked to see who saved me.

"Oh," I sighed. "Thanks, Micky." Just my luck. I _had_ to make a fool of myself.

"My pleasure," Micky smirked. The crowd of rowdy drunks had to put in their two cents by ooh-ing and ah-ing. I rolled my eyes.

"Mature, aren't they?" I giggled. Micky smiled.

"You know," he shrugged, "I feel kinda bad."

"Why?" I asked, a little shocked.

"I was kinda hoping you'd fall," he grinned. The crowd, once again, ooh-ed and ah-ed. A few of them made smooching sounds.

"You're silly," I laughed, kissing him on the cheek.

"And you need to tell him because…?" Davy smirked. Micky shot him a glare.

"Not now," he mumbled. He looked back at me. "Would this be a good time to ask you something?" I nodded. "Do you want to go out sometime?" Micky asked me. I have to admit, I wasn't really shocked by this question. I just smiled, giggled, and nodded again.


	10. Some Time in the Mid Afternoon

When I told Rhenda how the show went, she looked pale and almost disbelieving. In fact, if she hadn't been so sick, I would've been dead for almost ruining her reputation. But, when she found out about my new boyfriend, she had clapped her hands and screamed despite her lack of voice. I had laughed to see her react in such a fashion, but I digress.

I hadn't had much time to laugh at Rhenda before the phone rang. I ran to answer it and scooped it up.

"Hello!" I smiled cheerily. I was no longer afraid of answering the phone anymore. And believe you-me, it made me feel a lot better.

"Hey, babe," a familiar voice flirted on the other end. "How's my girl?"

"Fine," I giggled. "How's my boy?"

"Great," Micky answered. "So I was thinking; do you want to catch a movie today?"

"Mm," I purred. "Sounds good. What movie?"

"It's a surprise," Micky grinned. I giggled.

"Okay, Mr. Mysterious. When are you going to pick me up?" I asked.

"I'll be there around two o'clock," Micky told me. "See you, babe."

"See you," I said flirtatiously.

(-)(-)(-)

We sat in the back of the theater watching the new movie _Thoroughly Modern Millie_. It was funny, which is what I always enjoyed in a movie. I giggled as the romantic Jimmy came up with a new dance: The Tapioca. As people began to get into the dance, tapping and wiggling around to the music, Micky stretched his arm around me. I leaned my head on his shoulder and he kissed my forehead.

"Like the movie?" he whispered him my ear.

"It's cute," I giggled.

"Not the only thing that is around here," Micky winked.

"Shhhhh," the man in front of us pouted. When the man turned back around, Micky stuck out his tongue and crossed his eyes. I giggled again and I was surprised to hear it sound almost exactly like a Disney princess. Micky looked at me curiously before grinning and kissing my forehead again.

"Every second I spend with you," he muttered so the man in front of us couldn't hear, "I like you more and more." I smiled sweetly at him, then faced front to watch the movie.

By this time, the innkeeper, Mrs. Meers, had shut off the music and had demanded that everyone get out of her establishment. Jimmy decided to take Millie for a joyride in his bright red car. It looked like a real speed-demon. The scene panned to a park at nighttime. The car was parked in wonderful view of the stars…but Jimmy and Millie were nowhere to be seen. My heart jumped up to my throat as I heard the tell-tale sounds of a make-out session.

Micky's hand squeezed my shoulder. I looked up at him just in time to have his lips crash into mine. I was surprised, but not in a bad way. We kissed for about a minute. This was as far as it went, but it was amazing. Again, sparks zapped through my body and I could've sworn I started to glow with all that electricity flowing around. When we pulled apart, we grinned dumbly at each other.

"Wow," Micky said quietly.

"Yeah," I added. "'Wow' is right." I blushed. This time, it was most definitely _not_ just out of habit.

(-)(-)(-)

After the movie, Micky and I were walking out of the theater. I had the strange feeling that someone was watching me. For a minute, I thought Rhenda had sent Mr. Barrossa to stalk me again. But this theory was proven wrong when…

"The last time I saw _that _ass, it was hauling out of Denny's," a voice sniggered behind me. I whirled around.

"D-Dean?" I stuttered. Indeed, Dean Hatcher was now gliding up to me like a snake: poised and ready to strike its poor, helpless victim. What a time to be imagining yourself as a mouse!

"Reggina Mary Sullivan," he grinned evilly. "I never thought I'd see the day when you'd be out and about again. _Finishing_ a date, I see?"

"You know this guy, Reggina?" Micky asked, eyeing Dean carefully.

"Pardon my manners," Dean smirked, addressing Micky. "Dean Hatcher: Reggina's first boyfriend." Micky looked at me, confused.

"You never told me you dated before," he said, cocking his head over to one side.

"Oh yeah," Dean growled. "But, she never finishes the date, of course. You must feel oh-so-lucky!" I tried to glare at Dean, but instead, I gave him a withering glance.

"Um…" Micky trailed off, trying to find something to say. Suddenly, something passed through his mind and his eyes lit up. "Yes," he grinned. "In fact, I _do_ feel lucky."

"Oh really?" Dean sniggered.

"Yup." Micky's voice cracked. "Very, very, _very_ lucky." It was Dean's turn to fumble for something to say, but he was so good at talking back, he didn't have to think for long.

"I hope you get the good side when she breaks up with you. She's got a _lovely_ rear-end," Dean said almost in a purr. He walked around me to leave and slapped my rump. I squealed a little and Micky clenched his fists. He started to go after Dean, but I held him back.

"Micky, don't worry," I pleaded. "I'm fine. Don't do something you're going to regret." Micky calmed down and his fists unclenched. He took my hands and looked at me straight in the eyes.

"Do you really never finish dates?" he asked sounding slightly apprehensive.

"To be honest," I sighed, "this is the first date I've gone on since I broke up with Dean." Micky's face lit up.

"So I'm the first one you've ever stayed with for an entire date?!" he exclaimed. I nodded, smiling warmly. "YIPPEE!" Micky grinned leaping up into the air. "I'M THE LUCKIEST GUY IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD!"

"And I'm the luckiest girl," I flirted. Micky looked at me, still grinning from ear to ear. He leaned down and kissed me and I kissed back. "Thanks for not taking this too hard," I said when we parted. I put my head on his shoulder.

"Why would I do that?" Micky asked.

"I dunno," I shrugged. "I just thought maybe Dean would have a bad influence on you." I glanced behind me at my butt. "He's not exactly the most _gentlemanly_ of guys." Micky looked at me and grinned evilly.

"You have to admit," he chuckled, craning his neck to look behind me, "you _do _have a nice ass." I smacked his arm playfully.

"Shut up," I giggled.

"Well, it's _true_," he teased. He put his arm around me and I leaned on his shoulder. This felt so right. Even though I'd only dated one guy before this, I had a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach: the feeling that all my romance novels said was called "true love."

"What time is it?" I asked absentmindedly. Micky checked his watch.

"About 4:30," he answered.

"I'm hungry. Should we get some dinner?" I thought out loud.

Micky agreed and pulled me into a restaurant in the same mall as the movie theater. We sat down and I looked at the menu. I laughed when I saw what was on it.

"It's a _health_ food place," I chuckled. Micky looked a little surprised too.

"I could've sworn this place was a Domino's," he mumbled confusedly. It certainly wasn't a pizza place anymore.

"Hi, I'm Christina," beamed a perky redhead as she walked over to our table. "Welcome to Jerry's Health Emporium. Can I take your order?"

"Er…um…uh…I…ffrrhsm," Micky stumbled. He dug into his menu attempting to figure out what the health food was. He _looked_ like a junk-food person. I'd never noticed it before.

"I'll have the Shrimp Salad," I ordered while Micky tried to save himself from looking as out of place as an Eskimo at a surf contest.

"Uhhhh…Me too!" Micky exclaimed. Some people looked at him, but Christina simply swished her hair, took down our orders, and rushed off to get them started. "Thank you for getting something that sounds appealing," Micky breathed when Christina was gone.

"You looked a little flustered, so I figured I would get an absolute good," I shrugged. "No big deal."

"I swear, you are the best girlfriend I've ever had," Micky grinned. I blushed. Sometimes, I really didn't know how to take compliments like that.

(-)(-)(-)

Later that afternoon, Micky took me home. We kissed outside my house for a long time. By the end, I was practically smoking from all the sparks. If that was really true love, I was _in love_ with it. When we pulled apart, Micky smiled at me awkwardly before walking down the stairs of my porch and driving away in the bright red sports car.


End file.
